Waymo launches paid robotaxi service in Denver, San Diego, Tampa

Waymo began offering paid robotaxi rides to the public in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa on Tuesday, bringing the Alphabet-owned company’s commercial operations to 14 U.S. cities. Amazon-owned Zoox separately said it plans to begin testing its vehicles in Houston and San Diego, which would bring its presence to 12 U.S. markets, according to CNBC.

Waymo said it will gradually open access to riders across the three cities, consistent with how the company has approached previous market entries. The company said tens of thousands of people in each city had already signed up for rides. Each city will start with dozens of vehicles, with plans to reach hundreds over time, the company said.

Waymo’s fleet now totals more than 4,000 vehicles across its U.S. markets, according to TechCrunch. That includes the Ojai, a Zeekr-made minivan running Waymo’s sixth-generation self-driving system, which will be the only vehicle available to riders in Denver and San Diego. Both Tampa and the other two cities will receive the Ojai, though Tampa will also have access to Waymo’s Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, according to TechCrunch. Riders must hail trips through the Waymo app.

The company said it currently completes more than 500,000 paid trips per week across its U.S. markets and has set a goal of reaching 1 million weekly rides before the year is out.

Zoox’s Houston and San Diego testing will include safety drivers in the vehicles — Las Vegas remains the sole market where the company charges passengers for rides, according to CNBC. In San Francisco, Zoox offers a complimentary service to an invited group of users.

As for prior context, Waymo announced plans to enter Denver, San Diego, Tampa, and Las Vegas last month, initially restricting rides to its own employees before opening to the public. Denver plays a particular role in Waymo’s push into colder climates, with the Ojai engineered to handle winter road conditions — a capability the company developed through testing runs in the Sierra Nevada, Michigan, and New York regions.

A pivotal moment came in March 2025, when Waymo brought its robotaxi service to Austin via an Uber partnership, setting off a sustained period of rapid growth. In the roughly 18 months that followed, Waymo added commercial operations in seven more markets — Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, and San Antonio — according to TechCrunch. The company is also planning service in London and Munich.